1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a camera control system suitable for use with surveillance cameras, video conference systems or the like which perform communication of information, for example, via a network.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, with the spread of personal computers (hereinafter called PCs) and a further improvement in the performance of communication between computers which is represented by the spread of Ethernet (trademark), video conference systems, surveillance systems or the like are increasingly becoming realized comparatively inexpensively by connecting control terminals such as general-purpose PCs to a network such as the Internet.
For example, if a user transmits a control signal for a camera from a control terminal which is being used by the user, the control signal is received by the camera via a network and the camera is controlled in accordance with the control signal. A video signal obtained from the camera is received by the control terminal via the network and a picked-up image is displayed on the display screen of a CRT or the like.
During this time, control of the camera is executed in such a way that an operating panel provided with operating buttons is displayed on the display screen of the CRT or the like through a GUI (Graphical User Interface) and the user moves a cursor on the display screen with a mouse and clicks on a predetermined one of the operating buttons.
However, if an image obtained from one or more cameras is displayed oh the display screen or a displayed image is magnified, a number of problems will occur. For example, the operating panel for camera control overlaps a picked-up image of a camera to be controlled by the user and the picked-up image is hidden in whole or part by the operating panel, or the camera becomes difficult to operate.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to carry out display control of an operating panel and realize an orderly display of an image picked up by a camera which is being controlled.
To achieve the above-described object, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a camera control system capable of displaying on display means a picked-up image obtained from one or more cameras, which system comprises selecting means for selecting at least one image obtained from the one or more cameras, for displaying purpose, display processing means for displaying an image selected by the selecting means, on the display means in a predetermined size, searching means for searching for an empty area on the display means, other than a display area occupied by the image displayed by the display processing means, and control means for causing a new image obtained from the one or more cameras to be displayed in the empty area found by the searching means, if the new image is additionally selected by the selecting means for displaying purpose.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a camera control system capable of displaying on display means a picked-up image obtained from one or more cameras, which system comprises selecting means for selecting at least one image obtained from the one or more cameras, for displaying purpose, display processing means for displaying an image selected by the selecting means, on the display means in a predetermined size, an interface displayed on the display means in a predetermined size, for selectively operating the one or more cameras, searching means for searching for an empty area on the display means, other than a display area occupied by the image displayed by the display processing means, and control means for causing the interface to be displayed in the empty area found by the searching means.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a camera control system capable of displaying a picked-up image obtained from one or more cameras, on a display screen of a display device, which method comprises a selecting step of selecting at least one image obtained from the one or more cameras, for displaying purpose, a display processing step of displaying an image selected by the selecting step, on the display screen in a predetermined size, a searching step of searching for an empty area on the display screen, other than a display area occupied by the image displayed by the display processing step, and a control step of causing a new image obtained from the one or more cameras to be displayed in the empty area found by the searching step, if the new image is additionally selected by the selecting step for displaying purpose.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control method for a camera control system capable of displaying a picked-up image obtained from one or more cameras, on a display screen of a display device, which method comprises a selecting step of selecting at least one image obtained from the one or more cameras, for displaying purpose, a display processing step of displaying an image selected by the selecting step, on the display screen in a predetermined size, an interface displaying step of displaying an interface for selectively operating the one or more cameras, on the display screen in a predetermined size, a searching step of searching for an empty area on the display screen, other than a display area occupied by the image displayed by the display processing step, and a control step of causing the interface to be displayed in the empty area found by the searching step.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium which stores a program for executing processing for a camera control system capable of displaying a picked-up image obtained from one or more cameras, on a display screen of a display device, the storage medium allowing the camera control system to execute the following processing: selecting at least one image obtained from the one or more cameras, for displaying purpose, displaying the image selected, on the display screen in a predetermined size, searching for an empty area other than a display area occupied by the image displayed on the display screen, and causing a new image obtained from the one or more cameras to be displayed in the empty area found, if the new image is additionally selected for displaying purpose.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a storage medium which stores a program for executing processing for a camera control system capable of displaying a picked-up image obtained from one or more cameras, on a display screen of a display device, the storage medium allowing the camera control system to execute the following processing: selecting at least one image obtained from the one or more cameras, for displaying purpose, displaying the image selected, on the display screen in a predetermined size, displaying an interface for selectively operating the one or more cameras, in a predetermined size, searching for an empty area other than a display area occupied by the image displayed on the display screen, and displaying the interface in the empty area found.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.